Legends Never Die
by Eradien
Summary: jack sparrow gets himself into trouble..again.please read review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: obviously, I don't own any of these characters..ok?  
  
Jack Sparrow cautiously stepped over the dripping stones that lay scattered about the mouth of the cave. To think that he would come back, here, one place that he would've liked to forget. He grinned wryly to himself. Trust Jack to do all the crazy things.  
After his crew had hauled him, sopping, out of the bay, he had assumed his role as captain. He felt the welcome spray as the Black Pear, his ship, cut through the gleaming waves. He had his fun yelling fierce orders at the crew, gleefully insulting them with all his nautical vocabulary. Some strange thought, however, had kept pervading his mind, even after they were far away from Port Royal. Why not go back to the cave? Just for the heck of it. The more he pondered this, the more he longed to go back. It seemed there was almost a forcible pull, urging him against his better thinking.  
Not that Jack was one to follow his whims. He knew how dangerous that could be. And yet, this time, he had succumbed. Ordered to crew to make for the caves. Rowed himself to shore, alone, refusing to let any of the crew come with him. Why did he do that? And now, here he was. Alone in the caves, no sounds but the sighing of the water and an occasional drip from the wet rocks.  
He proceeded onward, warily. Wait, why was he being cautious? What was there to fear? He knew that inside lay heaps of treasure, gold, and a body. Nothing that could hurt him, he was Captain Jack Sparrow. So many memories resided here. Fighting with Barbossa. Crouching in the rocks with Will, hoping he wouldn't do anything stupid. Bluffing his way through the negotiations, knowing that lives depended on his ability to deceive. Such a little while ago, that this cave was alive with the shouts of...well...undead pirates. Sounds of steel against steel, harsh breathing. The sound of a chest being shut with finality.  
What was it he wanted to do here, anyway?  
Ah, there it was. All other thoughts were driven from his mind. In front of him. The chest with the gold. Gold really was a beautiful metal, come to think of it. So bright and pure. What would it hurt to run his fingers through the chest one more time? One last time. Not that he would be stupid enough to take a piece or anything like that. He just wanted to touch it, feel the shimmering pieces engraved with the skulls. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: don't own the characters, don't own any rights to Disney...do own the DVD though..  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Jack waded into the water, shivering involuntarily at its coldness. He was almost to the chest, almost...There. He was touching the cool stone with his fingertips. He gently traced the outline of the ancient engravings, his hand easing around to touch the bottom of the lid. Wedging his fingers as far under the lid as they would go, he pulled upward. The lid didn't move more than an half an inch. Jack stared at it in frustration, then tried again, with the same result.  
His eyes narrowed as a thought struck him.  
  
"With the proper leverage..."  
  
Sloshing his way back to the rocky outcropping, he searched for a good tool, then stopped short as a shout reached his ears. He caught the sound of Gibbs's voice, frantic and desperate.  
  
"Dang it, Jack, where are ye?"  
  
Quickly hauling himself up onto the rocks, he picked his way back toward the entrance.  
  
"I'm here, matey, what's happenin? Anamaria 'asn't set fire to the food now has she? Or 'as the bloody parrot gone and..." he stopped short at the sight of his ship, namely, the sight of his ship firing at a another ship.  
  
"Gibbs!" he yelled. "Ye aren't allowed te start a bloody battle when the captain's not on board, ye fool!"  
  
He almost collided with the man, who was pulling himself from the small boat and scrambling up the rocks. Jack gracefully jumped into the boat, almost tipping it over, and pulled Gibbs down with him. Grabbing an oar, he started rowing furiously toward his ship.  
  
Gibbs, panting, tried explaining.  
  
"Aye, captain, we weren't tryin' to start no battle, but the other ship started firing on us first! We had to defend ourselves. The rest of the crew be thinkin that it's a good idea if we run 'stead of fightin, since, well, the Pearl is the faster ship. Also we didn't think ye'd be wantin' any more holes in her than ye already got."  
  
Jack Sparrow stared at the ship, anger evident in his eyes. "What right 'as they got to be attackin' my ship? My ship! Who are they, anyway?  
  
"We don't rightly know, cap'n. They looks to be some sort of pirates."  
  
Jack had calmed down a bit after the initial shock.  
  
"Obviously they aren't the most congenial of pirates. In fact, I believe they look to be rather disagreeable, eh?"  
  
Jack scratched at his beard, absently pulling on the beads as he rowed. Why were the bloody pirates attacking his ship? He hadn't made any enemies that he knew of... Of course, mutinous first mates didn't count, nor did British commodores, governors, etc. But blast it, those pirates were blowing holes in his already damaged ship! Why couldn't he just have some peace in his life...  
  
Nearing his ship, Jack saw the frantic activity on the decks as the men rushed about. Looking for a good place to board, he rowed over to the far side, where a rope was draped over the edge. Cautiously standing up in the tottering boat, he lunged for the rope. Unfortunately, those pirates took it into their heads to loose a cannon ball just as he stood up. The boom, and resulting noise and confusion as wood splintered, caused Jack to miss his grip and fall head first into the frigid ocean. 


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to these characters or to Disney or to any other big business that could sue me....  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Jack's first thought as he fell out of the boat: It's bloody cold!  
Second thought: Did anyone see that?  
  
Rising to the surface, he spat water and looked for Gibbs and the boat. Gibbs had obviously had better luck than he, and had managed to grab the rope and haul himself up.  
  
"Grab hold of the rope, Cap'n! Anamaria says that we're goin, now!" The expression on Gibbs's face looked suspiciously like a grin as he watched the pirate struggle out of the water.  
  
As a cannonball slammed into a part of the figurehead, it disintegrated and fell into the dark water it with a splash. Jack finally reached the rope and hauled himself up on deck. Coughing water, he made his way unsteadily to the front of the ship. The ship rocked as yet another explosion sounded. Shoving Anamaria aside and taking up his position at the wheel, he squinted, trying to decipher who those bloody pirates were that were blowing holes in his ship. All he could make out was a rather large ship, three masts, and a pirate flag. The figure standing in the front caught his attention, though.  
  
The man was dressed in a fine velvet coat, along with a cutlass. What really caught his eye was the gold. The man had heaps of it- chains, ornaments, rings. What a man could do with that kind of riches...The captain stared at the destruction his ship was causing, seeming to revel in the mayhem. One of Jack's crew, a man of about fifty, stared in shock as a cannonball slammed into the deck, spraying splinters into his face. He screamed, clutching his face as wood imbedded itself in his cheek. The figure on the other ship simply stared, stone-faced, as his men continued to fire. Jack's hands tightened on the wheel, unconsciously steering his ship away as he stared.  
  
His expression had long since changed to fury and a cold hatred. He pulled himself up to his full height, trying to see the man's face. Was it someone he knew? He couldn't see the man, since the pirate turned to one of his men and spoke to him. Abruptly, the cannons stopped. Jack's ears were ringing after the onslaught, and now the silence seemed eerie, unusual. He had no chance to ponder the reasons behind the attack, or its end, because the Black Pearl was finally moving, away from that silent figure and his ship.  
  
And as the Black Pearl caught the wind, the man and his ship faded in the distance, soon only a dark smudge against the sea. They did not give chase, though Jack couldn't imagine why. His ship had sustained a lot of damage, and it would have been relatively easy for the bigger ship to overpower them. Perhaps luck was still on his side. Now that that was over, Jack began examining his ship. He had lost only two men, which was unusual in a fight like that. He clenched his hands into fists, the rings biting into his fingers. If he ever got the chance he would avenge their deaths. He had a score to settle with that man. But bigger troubles pushed his personal matters aside. His ship needed work soon. Besides gaping holes in the deck, one mast was gone and water was seeping onto the lower decks.  
  
"Look for land, anything will do. We need to get to bring the Pearl ashore, soon," he muttered to Gibbs.  
  
A young sailor trotted by with a plank, a bucket of glue, and some nails. Jack's hand shot out and halted his progress.  
  
"Sonny, there's no need to be doin' that. Ye've got te wait till we make berth to repair her."  
"But, Jac- I mean, captain, there's water a foot deep below decks, sir!"  
"Aye, and we'll pray that we don't get any more. There's nothin ye can do now to fix her. And it's Captain, Captain Jack if ye like. But no Jack, savvy?"  
"Yes sir, Captain!"  
Jack smiled as he watched the eager young man walk over the rail and lean over, trying to catch a glimpse of land. Though outwardly he was calm and collected, his brain churned in turmoil. If the Black Pearl already had a foot of water below decks...well, it would only get worse. Where was land, the one thing he thought he would never long for.  
  
"Now that's what you'd call ironic" "What's that, Jack?" Gibbs looked inquisitively at his captain.  
  
Jack didn't realize he'd spoken aloud.  
  
"Er...nothing much. Just calculating the distance of the nearest port, adding in the wind velocity and sail capacity, and obviously the rate that we're going now. Subtracting, of course, a bit of speed because of the rather prominent holes in the hull. Divide the number by 1/5 and..."  
  
"Sorry, Jack. That don't make much more sense to me than why those pirates attacked us. I ain't such a learned man as yourself." Gibbs smiled ruefully.  
  
"Aye, well, I have decided from my knowledgeable calculations that we shall arrive in precisely six hours...give or take a couple."  
  
Jack's fingers tapped a rhythm on the wheel. The ship creaked. A sudden gust of wind made the sails billow out, a stray rope whipping to and fro. Where was the land?  
"Jack, could ye stop doin' that? You're makin' me nervous."  
  
Jack looked down and realized his fingers were tapping at a pace that would have done credit to a musician.  
  
"Sorry, matey. It's just-"  
  
"Aye, I know how you feel. But the Pearl'll be alright. She's weathered worse things than this, I'll warrant."  
"What, that scum Barbossa bein' on board?" Jack laughed shortly, nervousness tightening his stomach despite his expression. If they didn't make it...no, he couldn't think like that. That was the way others thought, but not him. Captain Jack Sparrow did not give in to his fear like a coward. Jack Sparrow laughed at fate and trusted in luck. 


	4. chapter 4

disclaimer: I-do-not-own-these-characters. So there.  
  
It was almost dark. The sun was below the horizon, a few golden rays reaching out to touch the sails of the Black Pearl. The activity on the main deck had settled down, and many of the sailors had gone below decks. Jack alone stood at the wheel, a silhouette against the fiery beams of the sun. A small figure in the midst of an ocean, land miles away. The darkness grew closer, inching its black fingers towards the ship. Overhead, clouds formed.  
  
Jack shivered despite the warm Caribbean temperatures. A sense of foreboding lay on his mind, though he couldn't imagine what there was to be worried about...besides his ship of course. He had felt like this before, in a jail cell long ago. When the moon had clouded over and distant booms shattered the stillness. But here he was on a ship for heaven's sake, his ship, with a crew around him and the wheel at his hands. There was no cause to be afraid.  
  
He mentally kicked himself at his cowardice. Of course, there was one sure-fire cure...  
  
* *  
*  
  
"Jack, you've had quite enough of that. Give it here, now," Anamaria demanded firmly.  
  
Jack clutched his bottle of rum to his chest and looked up at her blearily. "Why go and spoil the fun, love? A man can...never 'ave too much rum."  
  
"Oh is that right? So shall I let you drink until you fall overboard and leave us captainless?"  
  
"Darlin,' a captain...this captain...never EVER falls overboard. For I, I am Captain Jack Sparrow, ye know."  
  
"Yes, I know. Now come on, give it to me."  
  
Anamaria finally pried it from his fingers, letting him fall backward onto his cot. Jack grinned up at her, making no move to get up.  
  
"Ye know, you're quite a fine gal, love."  
  
"None of that, Jack Sparrow. I've heard it all before, so don't be thinkin' that ye can try your flattery with me."  
  
"Flattery, darlin? Who ever said anythin' bout flattery? I'm only statin' the truth!"  
  
"Sure ye are. Why don't you reconsider that statement when you're not drunk?" she asked pointedly.  
  
Jack's eyes flickered under his eyelids. He watched her drowsily as she corked the bottle and placed it in a chest. He'd really have to get to know her better...tomorrow perhaps...when his head stopped spinning...  
  
Barbossa was smirking at him from on board the Black Pearl. He had just reached out his hand to grab the gold from the monkey and then, then it was snatched away by Barbossa. He heard the gunfire around him and wondered what was happening to that young fool of a Turner. Hoped he was safe, but he couldn't quite concentrate on any particular thought at the moment. Then Barbossa's face changed, and jack was no longer on his ship but on land, Tortuga to be exact. There was still lots of shouting going on, probably those drunken sailors...all the rum was gone...the man was shouting at him again.  
  
Jack jerked his body upright in his bunk. There was actual gunfire. He cradled his aching head in his hands. Why did this always happen to him? He unsteadily, and unsuccessfully, tried to get up. The ship was rocking so much, or perhaps that was just his blurry vision. Again, he tried, this time lunging for the chest and managed to drape himself over it. So far so good. Making his way toward the loudest noises, holding onto whatever presented itself, he finally reached the top deck. It was still pitch black, but for the bursts of fire from cannons. Which were, in fact, very close. Too close. So close he could see the sailors running about on the other ship.  
  
Whereas his men  
were...nowhere to be seen. His mind reeled  
as he tried to take this in. There was no  
one on deck! Where the bloody he- even as  
his mind raced through the countless  
possibilities he realized the truth. His  
crew had abandoned ship. And the only  
reason for doing that was because...the  
ship was sinking. 


End file.
